1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system having a means for driving and controlling an endoscope drive for bending and a means for controlling a means for converting image signals originating from an endoscope into video signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, endoscopes have been widely adopted for medical and industrial purposes.
These endoscopes are divided into two types: one type of endoscopes has a rigid insertion tube which is inserted into the abdominal cavity under guidance of a cannula similar to a tracheal cannula for puncturing the abdomen, and the other type has a flexible insertion tube which does not require a puncturing procedure but is routed from the oral cavity or anus through a curved body cavity to an intended region.
When the flexible endoscope is inserted from the anus to the large intestine, it must be routed through an S-shaped curved path to a deep region in a body cavity. This requires tremendous experience and skill. Therefore, unless an operator is an expert, he/she will cause a patient a great pain.
To solve the aforesaid problem, a variety of endoscopes of prior art have been proposed. In the prior art, a means for propelling an insertion tube is installed at the distal end of the insertion tube of an endoscope so that the insertion tube can be inserted to deep regions.
For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1984-181122, an insertion drive and a rotation drive are incorporated in an insertion tube. The inserting and rotating speeds at which an expert inserts an insertion tube are time-sequentially stored in memory. The stored data of the inserting and rotating speeds is used to control the insertion and rotation drives, so that the insertion tube can be inserted automatically.
As proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1990-178525, a bending rate as well as inserting and rotating speeds is stored in memory, then used to control the insertion, rotation, and bending drives. Thus, the insertion tube is automated.
Although the above endoscope systems of prior art have the full-fledged functions as a whole, they are difficult to operate. Thus, the system operability has posed a problem.